10/12/2012 

The advent of leading-edge semiconductor packaging technologies dictates efficient use of capital, and only the top-tier semiconductor assembly and test services (SATS) companies will have the financial wherewithal to develop required expertise and capacity, says one analyst.

10/12/2012 

Many early-stage tool development projects lack focus in what is needed for tool functionality and performance. Nevertheless, a disciplined phased approach to can resolve many open issues (technical, commercial and market-related) in the first phase of any project.

10/11/2012 

Soitec and Shin-Etsu Handotai (SEH) have extended their cooperation in Soitec's Smart Cut technology with an extended 10-year licensing agreement, including a new level of joint technology cooperation, to facilitate development and wafer supply of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers.

10/10/2012 

Azzurro and Epistar say they have achieved GaN-on-Si based high-brightness LEDs on 150mm GaN-on-Si substrates, billed as "one step further towards implementation in mass production."

10/08/2012 

Four of the leading micro- and nanoelectronics regions in Europe are joining forces to form a cluster alliance called “Silicon Europe.”

10/07/2012 

Imec, the research consortium in Leuven, Belgium, plans to start construction of a 450mm pilot line next year, with early production focused on sub-10nm devices starting at the end of 2016. 

10/05/2012 

ON Semiconductor has joined imec to collaborate on the development of next-generation GaN-on-Si power devices. ON Semiconductor is presently building a GaN processing line in its Oudenaarde facility in Belgium Oudenaarde, and it is expected to employ GaN-on-Si technology.

10/04/2012 

Fab equipment spending continues to soften in 2012, and hopes for a reprieve in 2013 are waning, warns one analyst.

10/04/2012 

Applied Materials says it will reduce its work force by between 6% and 9% (900-1300 positions) amid a global realignment deemed necessary to achieve certain strategic objectives, freeing up to $190M annually "to fund key growth initiatives."

10/03/2012 

Even though semiconductor manufacturers in Japan are consolidating and transitioning to a "fab-lite" strategy,  the region still represents a large installed fab capacity and a major market for equipment and materials suppliers.

10/02/2012 

Sand 9 is partnering with GlobalFoundries for high-volume manufacturing of its microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) timing technology, which incorporates silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and through-silicon vias (TSV).

10/02/2012 

Intermolecular says that it is working with both GlobalFoundries and IBM to speed development of manufacturing technologies down to the 10nm node, using its High Productivity Combinatorial (HPC) technology.

10/02/2012 

Researchers at the U. of Illinois have devised a method to monitor a semiconductor surface as it is etched, in real time, with nanometer precision.

10/02/2012 

Axcelis Technologies said it has signed a five-year $30M contract with "one of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers" to support its implant, cleaning, and thermal processing equipment at multiple fabs in the US.

10/02/2012 

Driven by market demand, the semiconductor industry is progressing toward consensus on building-block standards for automating LED production on 6-in wafers, explains Paula Doe in an article for SST sister magazine LEDs Magazine.

10/01/2012 

Tezzaron Semiconductor is taking over SVTC Technologies' wafer fab in Austin, TX, amid reports that the semiconductor/MEMS development organization is cutting back activities in Austin and in California.

10/01/2012 

Researchers at Cornell have developed a new laser-based method for ultra-fast anneal of thin photoresist films. The research, sponsored by Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), has shown that the new anneal outperforms state-of-art hotplate bake for both 193nm and EUV lithography applications.

09/27/2012 

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) say they have developed a novel optical connection process for semiconductors using "photonic wire bonding" that achieves data transmission rates of several Tbit/sec.

09/27/2012 

ProPlus Design Solutions, Inc. unveiled NanoYield, yield prediction and optimization software for memory, logic, analog and digital circuit design.

09/26/2012 

EV Group says it has received an order for its EVG850 temporary bonding/debonding systems from a leading maker of compound semiconductor-based components, what it says is the first use of its ZoneBOND technology in this area.